Zilexa, Number XIII
by liz9591
Summary: This is a story about when I became a Nobody. It starts a couple of months before Roxas joins, and because I am now Number XIII, it bumps him down to XIV. This doesn't follow the storyline of 358/2 Days because Roxas isn't a main character. Read Review!
1. Chapter 1

**Hey everyone! This is my first fan fic up on the site. I'd love to hear your reviews! Advice appreciated! -liz9591**

**DISCLAIMER: I do not own Kingdom Hearts. If I did, no one would have died. Except maybe Vexen. Guy creeps me out.**

**Vexen: I have studied her hormone output when she is near me, and this seems to be true. **

**Me: See what I mean?**

I mindlessly kicked a pebble in front of me. I didn't know where I was or where I was going. I knew from some distant memory that I was sixteen, and my name was Eliza, but not much else.

As I walked along, a man in a long, hooded, black coat blocked my path.

"You seek answers," the strange man told me in his deep voice, "I can give you purpose." The letters of my name appeared in front of me. I instead studied the man in front of me. He had long, blue hair that had a slight silver coloring to it done in a spiky, flat, yet elegant hairdo. His piercing, golden eyes seemed to stare into my soul, and I could see into his. I saw a dark and lonely place, filled with sadness and undying loyalty, but all of this hidden from the world by a cape of anger. I forced my gaze away from his and back to the swirling letters in front of me. An "X" appeared in the chaotic mixing, and the letters finally settled.

"Zilexa," I whispered, seemingly under my breath, reading the word in front of me.

"Yes, your new name. Come with me, Zilexa, and discover your true destiny," he guided me. The mysterious man summoned a dark portal and disappeared into it. I followed at his heels, and the portal closed behind us.

I was given a coat almost identical to the man's, but the zipper was a lime green color, and the drawstrings to adjust the hood had a golden tint that I had not seen on his coat. I liked it. I was then led to "Where Nothing Gathers," their conference hall.

"Pitiful heartless, mindlessly collecting hearts. The rage of the Keyblade releases those hearts. They gather in darkness, masterless and free, until they weave together to make…Kingdom Hearts. And when that time comes, we can truly, finally exist," said the no-longer-a-mystery man I now knew as Saïx. Then, Lord Xemnas took over,

"I would like to welcome our newest member, Zilexa, number XIII!"

After the formal meeting, I walked around and socialized with my fellow Organization members. I met several, including Axel, a fiery redhead with teardrop-shaped marks under his stunning, green eyes, Luxord, a blonde British card player and mischievous gambler, Demyx, a musician with a dirty blonde, spiky mull-hawk, and Xigbar, an old sharpshooter with a huge scar on his cheek that was missing an eye. One in particular, Larxene, a blonde woman with two spikes in her hair like antennae, seemed to hate me. Later, I retired to my room and went to bed.

**Okay, I know that was really boring, but it's a start. I've already written 21 pages. It gets better, trust me. Review please!**


	2. Chapter 2

**Hey guys! 2****nd**** chapter! Read and Review! -Liz9591**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Kingdom Hearts. If I did, Demyx wouldn't have died. I only own Eliza/Zilexa **

**Demyx: What!**

**Me: Um, nothing. You're, um, hearing things.**

**Demyx: I'm watching you type on a computer.**

**Me: You're seeing things. Go to Vexen.**

**Demyx: But he creeps me out!**

**Me: Great minds think alike.**

I was gently awakened by Demyx. It was seven o'clock, sharp.

"Um, h-hi, uh, Zilexa?" he said softly, his hair falling in my eyes. I blinked a couple of times. He got the message and sat up quickly.

"Hmmmm?" I grunted groggily, sitting up and rubbing my sleep-filled eyes.

"Z-Zilexa, Saïx told me I-I would, um, be your, um… m-mentor," he stuttered, eyes to the ground.

"Oh," I yawned, still trying to wake up. He looked disappointed, so I quickly added on a chipper, "That's great!" His face brightened. After he left the room, I sighed and sank back into my pillows for a few moments before hopping out of bed, getting ready, and heading down to The Grey Area to receive my mission.

"I assume Demyx has informed you of his identity as your mentor. I am deeply sorry, but there was no one else," Saïx apologized as I approached him. _Wow, that made me feel better. _

We were assigned to Twilight Town to evaluate my basic combat skills. Demyx summoned a portal, and we were off.

We arrived in a large, empty area. It was kind of cold.

"Well, um, apparently, I'm supposed to, um, test you on basic attack skills," Demyx said nervously.

"Why do you sound so nervous? You seemed fine when we talked yesterday," I questioned him.

"Well, to tell you the truth, I've never actually **been** a mentor before. I didn't know yesterday. What am I supposed to do? Usually I carry around these little cue cards Saïx makes for me, but today he says I'm on my own," the Nobody pouted. _A bit of a wimp, but at least he's honest._

"Well, to tell **you** the truth, I've never had a mentor before. Let's just be ourselves and see what comes of it!" I exclaimed. _Ugh, so sappy._

"Okay, Zilexa. Back to the mission. I'm not much of a fighter, but try to beat my water forms," he challenged, gaining confidence. He summoned a guitar-looking instrument and started playing.

"Um, Demyx? What's that?" I asked.

"Oh, this? It's my sitar. It's how I control my element. Watch! Dance, water, dance!" he exclaimed, and with that he let off an awesome solo, and several copies of him (made of water) started dancing around us. "See? Now try to fight them!"

I was about to do just that when I noticed I had no weapon! And Demyx was playing too loudly to hear me! While I scrambled to find a weapon, the water forms kept splashing me. It wasn't hurting me, but it sure was annoying. Then, one big splash sent me completely over the edge! I yelled in frustration, and a pair of nunchuks appeared in my hands. They were yellow and blue with black symbols that looked curiously like the head of a mouse all over them. I hit the forms and with only one hit each, took them all down.

When I stopped, Demyx and I both looked winded.

"Okay," Demyx said, short of breath, "Now here comes the hard part. Now the forms will actually fight back. I'll just keep sending them. When you get too beat-up, signal to me, and I'll stop them." I nodded and got into a defensive stance.

Again came the cry of "Dance, water, dance!" I kept count in my head. _Three-seventy-eight, three-seventy-nine, three-eighty, three-eighty-one._ All of a sudden, I felt something funny in my head. My lungs had been hurting; it wasn't exactly easy. _This is something different. I've never felt this way befo-._ I didn't even have time to finish my thought as I fell. As my head hit the pavement, I saw the water forms evaporating into nothing as the world slowly went black. With great care, Demyx gently drew all of the water off of me and pulled me close, crying uncontrollably, but, between sobs, murmuring, "She'll be okay. She'll be okay. She'll be okay," over and over again. It was the last thing I heard before I slipped into unconsciousness.

**Demyx**

I knelt there crying, an unconscious Zilexa in my arms. She just had to wake up. She had to. _Some mentor I am. _A rainstorm started. I got soaked to the skin, but I didn't care. I loved the water, and I was too stunned to care about anything other than the unconscious Nobody in my arms. I heard the sound of a portal, and then, a man's voice.

"Ugh, I hate the rain. Now my hair's gonna get all frizzy," he grumbled. It was Axel. The red-headed pyro hated water. We weren't exactly friends, but it made sense. We were opposite elements. Why would we be?

"Demyx? What's wrong?" he asked, seeing me on the ground. He walked closer and gasped.

"Zilexa? Demyx what happened?" he asked accusingly. I tried to answer but the words wouldn't come. I guess he figured he wasn't going to get anything, so he walked over and scooped her up into his arms.

"C'mon Demyx. Let's go," he said. I looked up at him like a toddler who had had his most precious toy taken away. He looked back at me with a rare, but reassuring smile. It was funny; he looked like he hadn't smiled in a long time. It didn't look natural on him, but he was trying. I realized how comical he looked. Smiling at me with his frizzy, yet drooping red spikes. I almost laughed, then caught myself as I looked at how helpless and hurt Zilexa was. The tears came back, and I bawled like a baby as I followed him through the portal.

He took her straight to her room and thoughtlessly laid her wet form on the bed. Not wanting her to catch a cold, I again drew the water away and got rid of it. I sat by her side, waiting for her to wake up, but minutes became hours, hours became days, days became weeks, and, still, she did not wake up. Axel stopped in every now and again to check on us. Saïx and Xemnas both told me to give up hope, but I would not move. I took comfort in the fact that her chest kept up a steady rhythm, rising and falling. I didn't know I had the courage to stand up to Xemnas, or, really, anyone, but I held on.

**Honestly, I cried when I wrote this chapter. Read and Review! -Liz9591**

**Zilexa: Ugh, so sappy.**

**Me: I know you so well. **

**Demyx: Aw, you're fine, Zilexa. It helped me.**

**Zilexa: 'giggles'**

**Me: 'rolls eyes'**


	3. Chapter 3

**Hey! Next chapter! Switching back to Zilexa. Read and Review! -liz9591 **

**I DO NOT OWN KINGDOM HEARTS!**

I woke up in my room to find Demyx snoozing in the small desk chair that made up two-thirds of the furniture in the room. Groggily I said his name, "Demyx?" He woke with a start, saw me, and tackled me in a hug.

"Zilexa! You're alive! You're alive! You're alive! You're alive!" He yelled, sobbing into my shoulder.

"Whoa, Waterboy. How long was I out?" I asked. He got himself under control, then said,

"You were unconscious for seven weeks! Lord Xemnas and Saïx told me to stop hoping, but I never left this room. A little bit after you passed out, Axel came looking for us. And then he saw you… and, and-" he burst out into another uncontrollable chorus of sobs.

"And then he hauled you and Waterworks all the way back here. Got it memorized?" Axel said coolly from the doorway. Standing next to him was Saïx who said,

"I must go tell Lord Xemnas that you have awakened." He walked away, muttering something about losing a bet. _I hate him_.

_Stupid-leader's-pet-suck-up-person-that-always-gets-everything-he-wants._

After a while, I started walking around the room, talking to both Demyx and Axel, but mostly grumbling about Saïx. Later, Saïx came back and interrupted us.

"I need to have a conversation with you Zilexa… alone," he whispered, looking around the room. Seeing the look on his face Axel quickly started shoving Demyx out the door.

"No! I'm not leaving her alone with Moony!" At that moment, Axel succeeded in getting Demyx out, then, he followed.

"I'll show that no-good, immature, fr-" Saïx fumed

"That's no way to treat my friend, **Moony**," I interrupted. He growled,

"Friend? You cannot possibly have a friend. You need a heart for that."

"So, **Moony**, is that "X" on your face a target for people who wanna punch you?" I taunted. In an instant there was a claymore at my throat, holding me a few feet above the ground against the wall. I couldn't breathe. The world started to fade again. _No!_ I kicked and struggled, but it was useless against the stronger Nobody.

"What are you going to do now, huh?" Saïx snapped. In his supposed victory he loosened his grip ever so slightly. Slowly, I smirked at Saix, put on a face creased with pain and weakness, then pleaded,

"Help, Lord Xemnas!"

"WHAT IS GOING ON HERE! Release that girl this instant XII. She is frail and needs rest!" Xemnas thundered. Saïx immediately dropped me, stunned with eyes wide in fear. I fell to the ground, gasping for breath. I made a big show of trying to stand up, then, just before I got to the bed I "collapsed." _Man, is he gonna get it. _I felt strong, warm arms lifting me back into the bed after Xemnas yelled for help. It was Axel, with Demyx by his side. Once Xemnas and Saïx had gone, I heard Demyx say,

"I knew I shouldn't have left her with Moony." I smiled at the nickname, sat up, and said,

"Hi!" Demyx was so surprised he fell off the bed, mouth open. Axel smiled and shook his head, suppressing laughter.

"It's all right, Demyx. I'm goin' back to bed. Go to your room and get some rest. We've got a mission tomorrow, right? " I asked. Axel walked with him out of the room, and, finally, I got some real sleep.

Demyx woke me up around seven thirty. He was still in black pants and a t-shirt, and his normally spiky hair was flat.

"Zilexa, quick! We need to be in The Grey Area in fifteen minutes! Sorry, I overslept," he apologized as he disappeared into a dark portal. I threw on my coat over black pants and a shirt, pulled my boots and gloves on, fixed my hair, and ran out of my room with minutes to spare.

"Did ya get enough sleep, dude?" Xigbar joked as I entered The Grey Area.

"As if!" I replied. He smiled. The one-eyed man was one of Demyx's few friends. With Demyx as my mentor, he was my friend as well.

"Your mission is to learn magic and your element in Twilight Town. Don't mess up," Saïx directed coldly.

"Hey, Saïx, do you ever feel a little off balance?" I asked, smirking and looking at his hair. Half of it had been burned off, along with his eyebrows. Axel snickered. Saïx glared at Axel and ran out of the room, clutching at his head. _Thanks, Axel._ Demyx summoned a portal and we left.

When we stepped out, we were back in the big, open space. Now it was even colder.

"Okay," Demyx started, "To cast magic, you just concentrate on what you want to cast. Sometimes it helps to whisper it out loud. Freeze the form. He played his sitar and a single form appeared. I did what he recommended, and then, there was a little Ice Demyx in front of us. _Whoa._

"Nice, now melt it with a fire charm," he directed somewhat nervously, backing up a couple of steps and closing his eyes. I concentrated and pointed at the ice, whispering the word under my breath. A small ball of fire shot out of my hand at the ice. It melted on contact, turning into a cloud of steam. I practiced some more.

"Now I'll show you how to make these dark portals we go everywhere in. Focus really, super hard on where you want to go, then, wave your hand. It's time to go home anyway. Make a portal to your room, so we can finish the other half of the mission," he directed. I focused on my room, the bed, desk, and chair that made up the furniture, and, with a wave of my hand, a portal appeared. I closed my eyes and stepped through.

I did it! I was in my room. Demyx came through behind me.

"Nice. Now to figure out what your element is," he said. He made a portal and I stepped in. He pushed me all the way through. _How will this help?_ I turned around to ask my question, but the portal was gone. I was in someone else's room. I looked around and saw posters of storms and lightning. There was blue everywhere. A blue comforter on the bed, blue curtains over the window that led to nothing, blue wallpaper, and even a blue rug on the floor. There was no way this could be one of the boys' rooms; it was WAY too clean. _But, that leaves…Uh oh._ I closed my eyes and braced for impact, now knowing whose space I'd invaded.

"WHAT ARE YOU DOING IN MY ROOM?" Larxene yelled as she walked through the door. _Yup._ She started throwing lightning bolts at me. I panicked, and a moment later, there was a huge cloud of darkness around us. A hand grabbed my hood and yanked me backwards. I stumbled out of a portal into my room. Demyx caught me.

"Sorry," Demyx apologized, "That's the easiest way. It's also how Xiggy discovered my element, water. So, what is it?" I quickly recounted what had happened. Then, I called him a jerk. He ignored me. I guess he was used to it, though. All of the other members, except Xigbar, picked on him.

"Darkness, huh? Cool. Okay, since we have some time left, let's finish up your last mission. You need to get some field practice. To Hollow Bastion!" he yelled, summoning a portal. I laughed aloud.

We stepped through it and we were in a cobblestone plaza surrounded by old looking houses. We started walking around. _Something about this place seems familiar._ I gazed, transfixed, at the somehow familiar streets and shops. Then, I saw a pebble resting against my boot.

"Hey, Demyx! This is where Saïx found me!" I exclaimed.

"It's also where we're gonna find some heartless," he said.

"Heartless? What are they?" I asked.

"Well, um, I don't know what they really are, but we're supposed to fight them. There are two types: Pureblood and Emblem. You can tell the difference because Emblems have little emblems somewhere on them," Demyx explained. _Gee, what a surprise. _Several heartless appeared in front of us.

"Alright, take 'em out," Demyx directed. I summoned my nunchuks, black this time. _Hmmm… that's weird. _I created a cloud of darkness, hopped in and took them all out in their confusion. I saw hearts rising into the sky as the darkness faded away.

"Demyx, what's happening?" I asked. He said nothing, just looked at me in awe.

"Whoa!" he finally said, "You just captured the hearts! That's, like, never been done before! We've gotta tell Saïx!" He dragged me into a portal that led us to The Grey Area.

"Saïx! Saïx! Saïx! Saïx! Sa-" Demyx chanted.

"I swear if you say my name again, I shall have you turned into a Dusk," Saïx threatened. Demyx whimpered. "Now what is it?"

"It's Zilexa, Sa- sir! She was able to capture the hearts from the heartless we fought!" He explained. Saïx's eyes widened, and everyone in the room turned to look at me.

"It was nothing," I said.

"None of us are anything, but this is certainly something I must tell the superior. The first of it's kind!" Saïx declared as he sprinted toward Xemnas's room. I swallowed my laughter at the sight.

"Whaddya say we call it a day, huh?" Demyx asked, "In tomorrow's makeup lesson you are learning about recon. Be ready." _Recon?_

I went to my room and looked at the cover of the book I had snuck from the library. Unfortunately, I hadn't been looking at the name when I grabbed it. "Vexen's Lab Reports" it read. _Are there no good books here? _I decided it would probably be boring, so I'd left to sneak it back when I passed Vexen's lab. I had an idea.

I silently walked up behind him and screamed as loud as I could. He fainted, with me laughing over him, but my scream had shaken the shelves, and chemicals were falling off of them, creating a confused color show on the floor. I made a portal back to my room, and just as I had closed the portal, I heard a loud explosion, a girly scream, and someone yelling at Axel. Probably Saïx. I laughed, thinking about his hair. Then I lied down, still laughing, and slept.

I slept for a while before Lexaeus shook me awake.

"Come with me," he commanded.

"Why should I?" I replied. _Wait…he can actually talk?_

"Because Lord Xemnas says to," he replied.

"Tell him to haul me out of bed later. It's twelve thirty in the morning!" I replied, laying back down.

"One does not tell Lord Xemnas to wait," he answered in his solemn way. _What happened to the Silent Hero?_ He grabbed my arm and yanked me out of bed. He then started pulling me down the hall to Xemnas's room. It was hopeless to struggle, after all, he is the strongest Nobody in the Organization. He slammed me into a chair across from Xemnas and bound my hands to it with a strong cord made of a material I had not seen before. Lexaeus left the room with a yawn.

"Did you blow up Vexen's lab?" he demanded.

"Did this job give you all those gray hairs?" I asked in return, avoiding the question.

"I will take that as a yes. Why did you do it? Are you working with the traitors from Castle Oblivion?" Xemnas questioned.

"There are traitors?" I exclaimed in true surprise.

"Stop avoiding my questions! When you destroyed the lab you destroyed a very special experiment!" he yelled.

"Can't you just start again from Vexen's notes in his book?" I asked, acting bored.

"He didn't write them down yet and it's mis-… How do you know about that? Where is it?" he demanded. He didn't wait for an answer. He saw a little bulge in my pocket, reached in, and took out the tiny book.

"ZILEXA, YOU TRAITOR!" he screamed. He took out his ethereal blades and raised them over his head.

"I-I-I'm not a traitor! I swear! It-was-a-prank-I-ran-up-behind-him-and-screamed-and-he-fainted-and-it-shook-and-things-fell-down-and-exploded-please-don't-

kill-me!" I explained. The blades had been falling even as I spoke. I felt something like water on my forehead. I reached up to it with my bare hand and wiped it off. I looked at my hand. It was stained with blood. This was a wound that would stay with me for the rest of my life, however long that was. _So, that's what happened to Saïx._

"A prank? A prank! I just lost five years of research because of a prank? Give me one, good reason as to why I shouldn't turn you into a Dusk!" He shouted, ignoring my bleeding head.

"I can collect hearts from the heartless! The rest of the Organization saw Saïx run off to supposedly tell you. Why didn't he?" I wondered aloud. He was so loyal, what was he thinking? I wouldn't be surprised if he had a new scar by tomorrow. Xemnas undid the bonds that held me to the chair. I began to feel woozy.

"You are free to go, this time. But I swear by Kingdom Hearts itself that if this ever happens again… well, Zilexa, you do not want to know," he warned, walking out the door.

I got up and started walking to my room. Deep in thought, and feeling worse, I bumped into Demyx.

"Yo, why was Xemnas yelling? And what happened to your head?" he asked drowsily, but with concern.

"Nothing. I just got hauled down there by Lexaeus 'cause I played a tiny prank on Vexen. He wasn't very happy, but I'll be okay, honest. Don't lose sleep over it. Really," I answered.

"Oh," he paused to yawn, "Well, as long as you're sure you're okay. Make sure you get some sleep. We have a busy day tomorrow." He started walking back towards his room. Wow. I had expected him to put up some kind of fight that resulted in me not working for a couple of days. As he walked away, I saw through his hair what appeared to be a dark, curving scar, longer and more grotesque than my cut, on the back of his neck. I summoned a portal to my room and, after a couple of hours of thinking, went back to bed.

**Any ideas on the scar? I got nothin'. -liz9591**

**P.S. Special thanks to:**

**Braided Tissues- for the awesome power finding idea**

**NinjaLuffer1215- for ways to tick off Organization XIII**

**Me: Xemmy, you're too strict.**

**Xemnas: You'd better be glad you're not in the Organization, Liz.**

**Me: Can I, please?**

**Xemnas: 'considering torture options' Maybe. 'evil chuckle'**

**Me: Uhhhh…**


	4. Chapter 4

**Hey! There's trouble ahead! -liz9591**

**I DO NOT OWN KINGDOM HEARTS!**

Demyx woke me up at seven o'clock. I got ready and went to The Grey area to receive my mission.

"Today your mission is to go with your mentor and collect hearts," Saïx informed me. His hair was strange today, the part of it that was still there was untidy, flying in all directions.

The only thing that made this mission not boring was that it was in a new world. I didn't hear what it was called, but it was **hot**. Not warm, not kinda hot, but **hot, **and there was this little monkey in a purple vest and hat that kept watching us. I was sweating in my black, leather coat. Xemnas made us wear thick, black outfits underneath it. All we did for hours and hours was run around the desert and defeat heartless. When we were done with our assigned mission, it was time for today's make-up mission.

"Okay, Zilexa, time to do reconnaissance, my specialty. You ready?" Demyx asked happily.

"Reconna-what?" I answered.

"Reconnaissance, recon for short. Let's get out of this desert and head back to Twilight Town," he told me. He summoned a portal. As I went through it, a gust of cold air swept past me.

"Ahhh," I sighed. After the hot desert, this place was paradise.

"Okay. Look around this area and tell me what you make of it," Demyx commanded me. _We're surrounded by a variety of shops all right next to each other._

"This is the local marketplace?" I answered warily.

"A good start, anything more?" he asked. I shook my head.

"Well, with how big it is, and its location, this is probably the town's center of activity. The tracks on the ground are for some kind of transportation, like a railcar. And did you notice how the roads slope?" he asked. I shook my head again. "Well, it's because the entire city was built into a mountain. The train station is at the top, and it's the main source of transportation. The tracks are elevated," Demyx explained.

"Wow, this is your specialty," I concluded.

"Yeah, I guess I'm okay. You're pretty good for your first time," Demyx complimented me. We summoned portals and went home.

The next couple of months passed quickly. Everyday my mission was the same: Go collect hearts. The only relief I got was the occasional recon mission. Demyx took care of those. We became best friends, doing everything together. Pretty strange considering we don't have hearts to feel with, although Demyx always insisted we did. We even laughed, something nearly unheard of in Organization XIII.

One day, the routine was broken. I was on my way to The Grey Area when I saw Axel in front of me.

"Hey, Zilexa! You're with me today. Demyx has to train the new kid on recon," he informed me. _The new kid? Oh, right. Roxas, number XIV. Well, recon is Demyx's specialty_. I followed Axel into a portal. He had been coming back from The Grey Area to get me, so he already knew our mission. We appeared in a world I'd never seen before. It was a small town with lots of shops everywhere. There was no one around.

"Hey, Axel. What's our mission?" I asked the pyro.

"Your mission is to help me find a man. When we find him, I want you to leave immediately and go back to the castle. Got it memorized?" he said, using his favorite phrase. I nodded, nervously. _Why does he want me to ditch him? Unless… _I shuddered at the thought that popped into my head. _Axel_ _wouldn't do __**that**__. _Feeling some sense of reassurance, I followed him.

We searched for a long time, and we were about to give up when we heard an old man's voice.

"Looking for me?" he croaked. This guy creeped me out.

"As a matter of fact we are," Axel replied evenly, summoning his chakrams, "Zilexa, leave now."

"Why?" I asked.

"Because I told you so," he replied.

"That's not good enough," I told him.

"I said I wanted you to leave, so you are going to leave! Back to the castle, NOW!" Axel yelled, losing his temper. The temperature became hotter than it had been at the other world that I had found to be called Agrabah._ What a __Hothead!_

"I'm afraid she's not going back to the castle. In fact, neither are you," the old man said in his rough voice. He said a word unknown to me. Then, there was a flash of light, and we fell into the middle of a snowstorm. Snow was up to my knees.

"Where are we?" I asked Axel.

"I don't know," he replied, "But we aren't staying. I'm outta here." He summoned a portal and walked in. A couple of seconds later, it spat him back out into the snow. He growled with anger and ran back into the portal, but it was as if he had run into a brick wall. He stumbled back, slightly dizzy from the collision. He screamed in frustration as he tried to regain his balance. He ran back in, only to have the same result.

"We're stuck here," he mumbled in defeat after a couple more attempts, "Let's find some shelter from the storm." We pulled our hoods tightly over our heads and started walking. It was mind numbingly cold, but Axel didn't seem to notice.

We walked around for hours and didn't find anything. Finally, I sank to my knees in the frozen world.

"I c-c-can't do it Axel. I'm f-freezing. M-My legs are n-numb," I stuttered, shivering.

"Come here," he said. He picked me up in his arms and kept walking. My head rested on his chest and I drifted into an uneasy sleep.

Axel

_Why didn't she do as she was told and leave? I was trying to protect her. If she knew the truth about me, what my real mission was, she'd never trust me again. _I stopped to readjust my grip on her, then trudged on. I didn't mind the storm. I wasn't cold. With my fire element, my temperature usually ran around one hundred and twenty-five degrees. I just had to reach shelter to wait out the storm_. I should've told Saïx I couldn't take the kid. I thought she would leave, I could finish the mission, and we could all get on with our lives. Well, everyone except the old man. Oh well. My loss. _I always ended up beating myself up like this. From the start, I had been very independent. I didn't need anybody. Besides, it's not like anyone else could beat me. For all concerned, I was pretty much invincible.

"Ow!" I grunted. I had just walked right into a wall of solid rock. My mind raced. _Maybe there's a cave somewhere._ I walked along the wall, running my hand along it, until I found an entrance big enough to walk through. I ducked inside. I looked around. The cave wasn't very big, but it would have to do.

"Hey, Zilexa, guess what I found?" I asked, setting her down. I looked at her and noticed that she was a light shade of blue. I took off my glove and pressed my hand against her cheek. I quickly withdrew it. Her skin was freezing cold! _Okay, I'll make a fire, that's it. Hang on, Zilexa._ I slipped my glove back on and headed out into the storm. I needed to find something I could burn. I kept walking and found a tree. I summoned my chakrams and cut off a few branches. I lugged them back to the cave and, after drying them a little bit, lit them on fire. The room started to warm up, but Zilexa was shivering and still slightly blue. Desperate to help, I took off my coat and laid it on top of her. _Hopefully that'll help_. I only wore the uniform black pants underneath, but I would be fine. Right now, Zilexa's the one I needed to worry about.

**Hey, did you like it? Well, all credit goes to Demyx-Axel-2362. I read their Snowstorm story and really, really liked it, so I decided to add it into mine. Oh and D-A-2362, if you have a problem with this, I'll gladly remove it. But it'll screw up my entire story, and I don't know what I'll do. Review please! -liz9591**

**Zilexa: Aw, Ax, you're so sweet!**

**Axel: Don't ever call me that again.**

**Zilexa: Axy?**

**Axel: No.**

**Zilexa: Ax-man?**

**Axle: No.**

**Zilexa: Redhead?**

**Axel: No.**

**Zilexa: Pyro?**

**Axel: Maybe. 'looks at script' I mean no.**

**Zilexa: Cologne?**

**Axel: What?**

**Zilexa: Nevermind.**


	5. Chapter 5

**The completely unexpected conclusion you've all been waiting for… Ta da!**

**-Liz9591**

I tended to the fire and watched Zilexa for I don't know how long, but I must've fallen asleep at some point. At least something in this snow world made sense! Being so close to my element relaxed me. I mentally slapped myself for falling asleep. I needed to go check on her. I walked over and sat by Zilexa. I nearly cried with happiness when I heard her voice.

"Axel?" she said, drawing my name out, still half asleep.

"I'm right here, Zilexa," I reassured her. But she had already fallen back asleep. A huge weight had been lifted off my empty chest. _She's gonna be alright. _I allowed myself to drift back to sleep.

Zilexa

I woke up next to a dim fire in a cave. I was sore and stiff. I tried sitting up and felt something heavy on top of me. I looked down and saw Axel's huge coat completely covering me, shielding me from any cold that dared to penetrate the small fire. _Wait a second, where __**is**__ Axel? _I looked around and saw him sitting on the other side of the fire, sleeping with his head in his hands. He only had his black pants on, but he didn't look cold.

"A-Axel?" I asked, finding my voice.

"Hmmm?" he grunted, straightening up and looking around. He saw me and shouted for joy.

"You're awake!" I smiled weakly.

"Yup," I replied.

"Feel okay?" he asked.

"Yeah, but aren't you cold?" I asked in return.

"Nah, not really," he answered. He looked at the dim fire, then at the worsening storm outside, and frowned. "Zilexa, I don't think I'll be able to feed the fire anymore," he said sadly.

"But what'll happen when… oh," I said with the same sadness, realizing the truth.

"Someone from the Organization will probably find us. Don't worry," he told me, faking a smile. I remembered what had happened when he tried to leave. My spirits sank.

"Axel, are we going to… die?" I asked after what felt like an eternity. He didn't answer. He just stared at the fire. I didn't know why I had asked. I already knew the answer. I guess fake hope is better than no hope at all. I snuggled further into Axel's coat and fell asleep.

Axel

"Axel, are we going to… die?" Zilexa asked after a long silence. I didn't know what to tell her. I'd already tried to reassure her, and telling her the truth just wasn't something I could bring myself to do, so I said nothing. I stared into the fire for a while, waiting for it to go out. _I've failed_.

After a couple more hours the fire did go out. I walked over and sat down by Zilexa's now sleeping body, hoping my extra body heat would warm her. _She'll be alright. But am I sure? I dunno the difference anymore. _I listened to her breathe. It was so peaceful, and it completely contradicted with the howling storm outside. Watching her sleeping form, I began to feel tired myself. _So peaceful…_

I jerked awake, hearing a noise from outside. I was drained, but I found the strength to summon my chakrams. I walked toward where the noise had come from. Outside I found a huge man in an Organization coat. _Lexaeus! If I had a heart, it would be thumping out of my chest by now._

"Hello, Axel," the usually silent hero greeted him. He summoned a portal behind him and disappeared into it. I walked back into the cave, picked up the still sleeping Zilexa, and entered the welcoming darkness of the black hole.

I went to Vexen's lab to get Zilexa checked over before leaving to report to Xemnas. _She'll be alright_. _This time, I'm sure_.

Zilexa

I woke up in Axel's arms as he took me to Vexen's lab. He filled me in on the way. The lab was freezing! I was set down on his usually messy lab table. I told him that my nose felt stuffy, and I kept coughing for a while, but otherwise I was fine. I was given some awful tasting medicine and sent to bed. What a trip!

**Awesome, right? I wrote this like, 3 months ago, but I've been busy…**

**-Liz9591**


	6. Chapter 6

**Me: Demyx!**

**Demy: What? What'd I do?**

**Me: 'sigh while shaking head and looking down like 'Wow, you don't know?'**

**Demy: Huh? You realize that you're typing this and I can see it right?**

**Me: Shuddup and read!**

**Demy: 'gives me a blank look, then starts reading'**

**I don't own Kingdom Hearts or Dr. Bombay. But, like so many fan girls, I'm waiting for Organization XIII to come… so, um, yeah… Enjoy! –Liz9591**

I was rudely woken up a couple hours later by Demyx. He must've been playing his sitar loud enough to wake the dead.

"Zilexa! Guess what? Today we have a day off!" he yelled over the deafening music.

"Demyx! It's three o'clock in the morning! Do you have any idea what I've been through the past couple of days?" I crossly questioned him. The music stopped for a moment while he thought about what I had said.

"Nope," he finally replied, resuming the music. Then he started singing, "I like my sitar, I like my sitar. I play the sitar, sitar, wherever I go. Oh-ay-oh!"

"Stop it! How could you not know? Axel and I were caught in a huge snowstorm all yesterday and last night! The corridor was blocked, and I almost froze to death!" I yelled at the Nocturne. He looked shocked, then angry, but not at me.

"I'm gonna go talk to Xemnas right now and **demand **to know why he didn't tell me this. I mean, I'm your mentor! I should've been the first to know!" he stamped out of the room and down the hall. I went back to bed, laughing. He looks so cute when he's angry.

Demyx

I ran out of the room, fuming with anger. I calmed down a bit on the long walk to Xemnas's room. I was about to kick open the door when I heard voices inside. I put my ear to the door to listen.

"XIII, what happened on the mission," it was Xemnas.

"I failed to take out the target," _Axel._

"And why was this? You've done similar jobs many times," Xemnas said, growing angry.

"I was trying to protect Zilexa," Axel admitted after a long pause, "I didn't want her to see that side of me. I'd never be able to look her in the eye again."

"Why does this matter? We don't have hearts or emotions." _Do too._

"I just couldn't do that to her. She makes me feel… like I have a heart," Axel said.

"Well, you don't. You will have to accept that eventually. You may go," Xemnas directed. I panicked and flattened myself against the wall hoping he wouldn't see me. He walked right past me. I waited a minute before going in. The moment I saw Xemnas I felt the anger swell up inside me again.

"IX, I don't believe I invited you in," Xemnas said coldly. We weren't on good terms. Most people viewed me as a lazy wimp who couldn't fight. I sure fought now.

"Why wasn't I told of Zilexa's little detour?" I asked, just as coldly.

"It didn't concern you," he replied.

"It does concern me, I'm her mentor," I declared, getting even angrier. He turned around and glared at me. The stare was intense, and at any other moment I would have been terrified, but I didn't blink.

"Do you truly wish to know why?" he asked me, our eyes still locked in a glare. He didn't wait for my answer, "She was not meant to survive. I have taken a certain… dislike to her. You know what happens to people I dislike," my eyes dropped to the ground. I remembered, "I knew something would undoubtedly happen. That man is a powerful sorcerer, but what I did not expect, was for Axel to find a soft spot for the girl, and if you tell anyone what I have just said to you, then, I shall turn you into a Dusk as I should have long ago." I couldn't take it anymore. I ran all the way back to my room, tears streaming down my face. I jumped onto my cluttered bed and cried myself to sleep as I'd done so many times before.

**Demy: C'mon, I'm not that wimpy.**

**Me: I only type the truth.**

**Axel: 'laughs his head off at Demyx, then gets mad' Wait, there's no way I coulda passed him like that. I call for a rewrite! Now!**

**Me: No.**

**Axel: 'summons chakrams'**

**Me: Already uploaded.**

**Axel: Runs outside.**

**Me: Um, I smell smoke. So…yeah. Bye! -Liz9591**


	7. Chapter 7

**Zilexa: Vacation!**

**Me: You didn't read it yet, did you.**

**Zilexa: I read the words "I slept in until some time around 11," That's all I need.**

**Me: 'laughs evilly' **

**Zilexa: What's so funny?**

**Me: 'laughs again'**

**Zilexa: ?**

**Enjoy! –Liz9591**

I slept in until some time around eleven before going to Hollow Bastion for something to do. For the most part, I walked around, battling any heartless that dared to get in my way, but after a while, that got boring, so I made up a game. I hid on a rooftop and every time I would see someone, I would make a cloud of darkness on top of them and count how many seconds it took for them to trip. I laughed my head off at each one.

People stopped coming for a while, then, I saw a man wearing a long black coat that was missing a sleeve and had straps criss-crossing his chest. He had one black, demonic looking wing. His blond hair was all spiky, but only on one side of his head. He carried a huge sword. I smiled, and effortlessly placed a huge cloud of darkness around him. He immediately yelled and jumped above the cloud. Somehow he was flying. _How can you fly with one wing? _He saw me and flew toward the rooftop I was on. I pulled my hood tighter over my head and started running. I was too scared to make a portal. He flew above me, then, without warning, landed right in front of me. I smashed into him, and we both fell over. I heard a popping sound as I jumped up to run again. The man screamed in agony and ran after me, his limp wing at his side.

We ran for a couple more minutes, then, the unthinkable happened… I hit a dead end. _No. No. No. No. No. _I spun around and summoned my nunchuks, scared, but ready to fight. He stopped and took out his sword. I made the first move. I leaped at him with my nunchuks spinning. He swung at me with the side of his sword. It connected with my stomach and I went flying into the wall of the alley. I slid to the ground, my head pounding and my vision blurring for a few seconds. I dimly saw him standing over me. Then, there was a new pain in my head, and I saw no more.

I woke up in a nice room with a girl standing over me. My coat was on a table beside me. I had a throbbing headache and felt dizzy. She was wearing a pink and white top over a pink dress with a white stripe. She smiled at me and yelled for someone named Cloud. _What a weird name. _The man with the sword walked in. His wing was bandaged up. I thought about running, but I quickly realized that was impossible. He was blocking the door; I was terrified. I guess it showed because the girl definitely noticed.

"Don't worry. Cloud here won't hurt you anymore, right?" she demanded of Cloud.

"Whatever Aerith," he agreed, "Who are you? Where are you from?"

"Wouldn't you like to know," I replied with a glare. Rule number one was not to talk to the locals. They aren't supposed to know anything about us. We are a secret organization, "Goodbye." Now that I had calmed down, I could make a portal. I grabbed my coat and walked through it while a bewildered Aerith and Cloud watched. I ended up in my room. I had just lied down on my bed when Demyx came in.

"Hey, Zilexa. Time to get up!" Demyx said, lightly shaking me.

"Noooooooooo! Tell Saïx that I need two more hours. I got 'localed' in Hollow Bastion. Pleaasse," I pleaded.

"Well, we had a vacation day yesterday, so he probably won't let you, but I'll get you a mission with me today, so you can sleep some while I finish the mission. Hey what happened to your head? You've got to stop doing this," Demyx asked with concern. I reached up and touched my head. It was bandaged up. I winced as I withdrew my hand. It was a slight shade of red from the blood-soaked bandage. _No wonder I was dizzy. What was her name? Annie? Air? Oh, yeah, Aerith._

"I told you, I got localed, and aren't my missions usually with you?" I asked.

"Yeah, but today you're going with Axel on some combat mission Saïx won't talk to me about," Demyx explained, still staring at the bandage.

"Oh, no. Not again. Never. Ever. Again," I stated, completely serious. Demyx laughed. I gave him a playful whack on the head.

"Just kidding. It was dueling practice with Larxene," I stared at him in horror, "Don't worry, I'll take care of it. Go back to bed. I'll wake you up again in fifteen minutes." I nodded and fell asleep almost instantly.

**Cloud: Grrr… You won't be so lucky next time. Aerith won't be there to hold me back.**

**Zilexa: As if. 'laughs' **

**Xiggy: Hey, Ninja Girl, that's my line!**

**Zilexa: Whatever.**

**Cloud: 'stares at everyone angrily'**

**Next chapter… -Liz9591**


	8. Chapter 8

**Zilexa: Thanks, Dem.**

**Demy: No prob. Made up a song, wanna hear?**

**Everyone from KH who is suddenly there: Sure!**

**Demyx: Um, it's more of a private thing.**

**Everyone else: 'gets sucked into a black hole that dumps them into a live Mitchell Musso concert'**

**Demyx: Well, Liz, that's… creative.**

**People at the concert: Nooooooooo!**

**Me: Haha**

**I don't own Miley Cyrus, Mitchell Musso, or KH. Only Zilexa. –Liz9591**

He woke me up on time with a gentle shake before he told me the mission.

"Okay. I fixed it. You're going with me to Hollow Bastion for some recon," he told me, smiling excitedly and bouncing around the room. I smiled; he was always like this before a recon mission. He suddenly summoned his sitar and broke out into song:

"Recon! Let the party start!

We're gonna stay out, gonna catch some hearts

gonna run 'til we get our missing parts

Oh, oh, emotions again

We're gonna get all the heartless we see,

we're gonna get our hearts 'cause we paid the fee,

It feels so good to be me-e-e! Oh, um, I mean uh-uh-us!"

(sing to the chorus of "Breakout" by Miley Cyrus)

I stifled a laugh, then let it out. He started laughing, too, until we were both giggling heaps on the floor. We stood up as our laughter faded.

"We'd better get started on our mission before Saïx goes all 'Puppy Saïx' on us," he declared with a stern look on his face. Our eyes met, and we both burst out laughing again.

"Okay. Meet you in Hollow Bastion," he yelled between gasps as he walked through a portal. I got ready and ran through the portal before I remembered how tired I was. I climbed to the rooftop I had been on yesterday and lied down. _Well, Demyx said I could catch some sleep._ I closed my eyes and slept like the dead.

Demyx

I stumbled through my portal, still laughing at my makeshift song. I ended up on a rooftop. I pulled out a note card from my pocket. _"Investigate the Hollow Bastion Restoration Committee's Headquarters." Hmmm… shouldn't be too hard. _I quickly found the house I was looking for. It had a small, handmade sign above the door.

I snuck over to one of the windows and, seeing no one was home, slipped inside. I began looking through a pile of papers on the desk. _HBRC Honorary Members, HBRC Defense, HBRC Future Planning…_ I quickly grabbed the three files and snuck back out the window. I walked along in the sunlight, reading the files I'd just found. _Hmmm…who's Sora? Goofy is a weird name. Merlin…Yuffie… _

Zilexa

I woke up to the feeling of cold metal at my throat. I opened my eyes and saw the man with the stupid name from the day before, Cloud.

"I'll ask you again," he said, putting slight pressure on the sword shoved up against my throat, "Who are you?"

Thinking fast, I blurted out the first thing that came to mind, "Eliza."

"What are you doing here?" I thought for a moment and grinned.

"Avoiding you," I smirked. I put my hand on the ground beneath me, summoned a portal, and fell into it.

Demyx

As I was reading the files, someone tackled me into a rose garden. I turned my head to see my opponent. It was a man in long, black pants, a short, black jacket with a fur collar, a white shirt underneath, and black shoes. He held a huge sword in his hand. The handle looked like a gun. I quickly stood up and made an attempt to brush the dirt off of my coat. I could tell from the annoying stings I felt all over my body that I was cut, but not too badly. I summoned my sitar and got ready to fight.

"Name's Lion," he said with a snarl. _I can see why._ He raised his sword-ish, gun-ish thingy and charged at me. I did what I always did in these situations… I ran for my life. I eventually lost him by running into a portal. I then went roaming around the city, searching for Zilexa. I climbed up to a rooftop and looked around. I heard a loud noise and saw a cloud of dust rising from a building not too far away. I started walking over there. When I was getting close, I saw Zilexa. She was laughing her head off at something. I quickly ran over and put my hand on her shoulder. I felt a pain in my head and everything went fuzzy for a few seconds.

Zilexa

I reappeared a couple rooftops away. I laughed as I watched him cave the roof in, trying to get to me. Then, I felt a hand on my shoulder. I swirled my nunchuks, now in my hand, at the unknown attacker.

"Ow, what was that for? Ouch!" asked a familiar voice. I turned around to see Demyx rubbing a spot on his head.

"Sorry, what happened to you?" I asked with concern. His hair was all messy, and he was covered in dirt, bruises, and scratches.

"Other than you whacking me just now, I was doing recon on that house over there about thirty minutes ago," he pointed at one across the plaza, "But someone saw me and attacked me. I lost him and then came looking for you."

"What'd he look like?" I asked.

"He had a big sword and brown hair. He said his name was Lion, I think," Demyx explained.

"It's Leon," he said coming up behind us. We both whirled around to face him. The man known as Leon was standing next to a dust-covered, scratched up, angry-looking Cloud. I felt Demyx shaking with terror beside me. I'm sure I was, too.

"So, Eliza, who's your cowardly friend?" Cloud asked offensively.

"I'm no coward!" Demyx yelled, "I'm just…logical."

"Logical, huh? Think about this: You start talking, and I don't smash you to pieces, again," Leon reasoned, glaring at us.

"Demyx, I think now's a good time to leave," I whisper-asked.

"Got it," he whisper-replied.

"Sorry, guys, but I think we'll pass," I said sassily. I created a portal and walked through to The Grey Area. Just as I was about to close the portal, a shuriken flew through it… and cut off half of Saïx's remaining hair. He yelled and ran out of the room. I slowly turned to look at Demyx. We both started laughing our heads off. A few minutes later, as we were beginning to calm down, Xigbar walked in.

"What're you laughin' at, Sprinkler?" he asked Demyx. At this he cracked up again, so I answered for him.

"Well, Xiggy, ask Saïx," I replied before bursting into another fit of giggles.

"Whatever, Ninja Girl," he sighed as he walked out of the room to look for Saïx. Still laughing, I staggered to my room and went to bed.

**Zilexa: Yo, Xiggy, where do you come up with these?**

**Xiggy: California coast, Ninja Girl, that's where it is.**

**Zilexa: What's California?**

**Xiggy: No words can describe it. 'eye stares off into the distance'**

**Zilexa: 'slightly creeped out, slowly scoots away'**

**-Liz9591**


	9. Chapter 9

**Zilexa: Saïx, what're you doin'?**

**Saïx : Nothing. 'hides his diary in his coat'**

**Zilexa: 'reading over my shoulder' Haha. He has a diary.**

**Saïx : Liz, if you ever want to join The Organization, you will delete that conversation.**

**Zilexa: Or… you could use it to blackmail him into letting you join. Decisions, decisions…**

**Me: Thanks Zilexa. Sweet idea. 'grins evilly' –Liz9591**

When I woke up, I was being dragged across a tiled floor. I tried to see where I was going, but I may as well have kept my eyes closed. I was blindfolded, bound, and gagged. At that moment, I realized that my captor was babbling to himself.

"Zilexa truly brought this upon herself. She is constantly making fun of me, and, just today, she cut off half of my remaining hair with a ninja star! So ill-mannered… Oh well, she won't bother me after tonight," It was Saïx! I had heard enough. I kicked and struggled against my bonds with all of my strength, but it did nothing.

"Ah, you're awake. All the better for me, but not so much for you," he cackled madly. I listened to where his voice had been coming from and shot a fire spell at him.

"No! That was the last of my hair! Wait a moment, who am I? Marluxia? That's it, you're done for!" I panicked and cast a lightning spell at him. Definitely not my best choice. I was in agony as the lightning went from Saïx, to me, and then to the ground. On top of all my other wounds, this pushed it way past my limit, and I passed out.

Demyx

I woke up on my bedroom floor, where Axel had just roughly thrown me.

"I'm up! I'm up! What is it, Ax?" I asked, annoyed.

"First, don't EVER call me that again, and, second, Saïx has completely cracked! He's taken Zilexa and he's trying to toss her into Atlantica!" he said in alarm. I immediately jumped up and started to run out the door. He yanked me back by the hood.

"Shhh. We've gotta be quiet. I know exactly where he is," Axel said. He walked through a portal, and I followed him in. We were standing in a gummi ship about thirty feet behind them. Why the Organization had a gummi ship is still a mystery to me. Suddenly, a hand covered my mouth and a blindfold was tied over my eyes.

"Demyx, it's alright. I'm not gonna hurt you. This is my idea. I knew you wouldn't agree before because you're so scared of heights. Saïx told me to bring you to him. I was going to trade for Zilexa. I figure throwing you into Atlantica won't do a thing to you because you're water, right? Well, I'll toss you in, get Saïx, and take us all home, got it memorized?" I was really scared of heights, but I nodded. I had to save Zilexa. Axel pulled my hands behind my back and held them there. I was roughly pushed along by Axel. _Gotta act the part, right? _I wasn't so sure.

Zilexa

I woke up inside a gummi ship. Saïx had taken the blindfold off while I was out, but not the metal wire or the gag. I heard a grunt behind me. I turned my head towards the sound and saw Demyx being pushed forward by Axel. _Axel? Why?_

"Saïx," Axel said, "I got Demyx. Now let Zilexa go." _You would kill Demyx to save me?_

"I want to see him go over first," Saïx said cruelly. Axel started pushing Demyx toward the open door. Demyx was shaking in fright. Everyone knew how scared he was of heights. Axel was about to push him over. I turned away.

"One…two…" he counted

"Wait! Zilexa, you should see this," Saïx walked to me and hauled me back over to the door. He suspended me in mid-air outside the ship. Axel whispered something in Demyx's ear before counting three and pushing him over. I closed my eyes.

"Now, release Zilexa," Axel commanded.

"I was hoping you would say that," Saïx said. He released his grip and let me fall into the watery chasm below.

Axel

I watched helplessly as Zilexa plummeted toward the ocean. I summoned my chakrams and threw one at the control panel. It fried, and the gummi ship was immobile, but still floating. I threw the other at Saïx, pinning his coat, and him, against the wall. I snapped my fingers and it erupted into flames. I ignored his screams. I then ran to the door. I had made up my mind_. I'm going to dive into the water and rescue her. _I stopped, just short of jumping, as I looked at the abyssal blue below. My element being fire, about five hundred and ten percent of me did not want to jump. _Gotta save Zilexa_.

I leaped. I was free falling for about three seconds before I remembered one crucial thing: I can't swim! I took a deep breath before I hit the water, but it was forced out of me upon impact. I was rapidly sinking deeper into the water. Panicking, I started flailing my arms and legs, but it had no effect. _I need air. _My mouth opened, and water rushed in. I saw a flash of blue-green scales as I lost consciousness.

Demyx

Axel gave me a gentle push, and I fell off the gummi ship. I raised my arms over my head and turned my awkward push into a graceful dive. I landed lightly in the water. I counted to three and began to swim up. It was really hard with my big, leather coat on, so I slipped it off before swimming all the way to the surface. _Axel was right. It wasn't all that bad. The drop was terrifying, though._

I broke the surface of the water and looked up…right as Zilexa fell on top of me. Her downward momentum had pushed us both down about ten feet. Her eyes were closed and she fought to get up. I pulled us both, with some difficulty, to the surface. I took a breath and went back under to work on her bonds. It was tiring work, and I couldn't get the ones on her hands undone, just her feet, but I thought that would be sufficient while we waited for Axel. _Where is he?_

In about ten minutes, I was able to get all of Zilexa's bonds off, but Axel still hadn't arrived, and I decided to break for shore. I helped Zilexa slip her coat off, and we both began swimming toward the faint shoreline. I wanted to make a portal, but making one in the water is nearly impossible, and only one Nobody, Xemnas, had ever accomplished it, so we'd have to wait until we got to shore.

After nearly thirty minutes of swimming, I was doing fine, but Zilexa was quickly tiring. Occasionally, I would have to go back and help support her while she caught her breath. We were getting close to shore when I heard a faint noise behind a rock. Almost like a laugh.

"Hello?" I asked. _Surely, someone has to live around here. _I saw a flash of red hair as the figure turned away, "Axel?" I heard a small giggle, and a girl with long, flowing red hair came from behind the rock and swam over to us.

"My name's not Axel. It's Ariel, but I think I found who you're looking for," she explained cheerfully. She jumped out of the water, dolphin style, and I saw her…tail? She had a blue-green, long, scaly tail. In spite of this, we followed Ariel to shore, where a very wet and frizzy-haired Axel was sitting up on the sand, somewhat conscious. He looked awake, but his mind was obviously far away. He didn't seem to recognize either of us. I don't even think he saw us. _I knew he hated water, but not __**that**__ badly._ I summoned a portal and helped him up. I let him lean on me as we walked through the portal, and home.

**Zilexa: Where's Saïx , Liz?**

**Me: With Demi Lovato in rehab.**

**Zilexa: Oh… Wait who's she?**

**Me: Clueless**

**Zilexa: Hey!**

**Axel and Demyx: 'laugh'**

**Zilexa: As if you know.**

**Axel: Actually we do.**

**Demy: She's an actress. Don't you watch the news?**

**Zilexa: No. Since when did you?**

**Demy: 'looks heartbroken' Oil spill.**

**Axel: 'laughs'**

**I have a serious case of writer's block. Anyone got ideas? –Liz9591**


End file.
